Well-Known Member

That remains a debate. As the camera pans, I see both 1900 and 1920. The 1920 is probably what was intended as it makes sense for the character ages. In a previous discussion here we concluded that it was a poor attempt to disguise an existing tombstone that said 1900-1971.

Well-Known Member

Here is a screen cap that may help. It seems to show 1909 - 1971 which would make her 62 when she passed. The flowers cast a shadow on the headstone making it a little harder to read when she was born. The numbers can be made out when zoomed in. As Adrian mentioned the 9's and 0's are a bit difficult to read from the camera angle and the shadow does not help. You can see it is a shadow as you watch Norm swap out the flowers the shadow moves with them.

I know some have been to this cemetery and to where Bill and Peter are. Has anyone tried to locate this headstone?

Well-Known Member

Good thinking, Pearl. I figured Edie was a little older than Norm but did not think about by how much. I felt that the guys were not long out of school before WW2 started going by FotSW - late teens, early 20's or so.

Without going back to watch some episodes I looked up the Wiki for First of SW it says the series takes place between May and Sept of 1939. That Norm starts out some episodes by saying this is Norman Clegg's diary aged 18. That would have Norm born in 1921 and if Edie in 1909 making her 12 years older than him. Maybe they meant the marker to say 1919 making Edie only 3 years older. Which would make more sense.

Obviously Roy Clarke had no idea that this show would become as iconic as it has nor that people would look back on it to 'connect the dots' after time had passed. Inconsistencies are bound to come up. Of which we have fun discovering and discussing.

Super Moderator

Good thinking, Pearl. I figured Edie was a little older than Norm but did not think about by how much. I felt that the guys were not long out of school before WW2 started going by FotSW - late teens, early 20's or so.

Without going back to watch some episodes I looked up the Wiki for First of SW it says the series takes place between May and Sept of 1939. That Norm starts out some episodes by saying this is Norman Clegg's diary aged 18. That would have Norm born in 1921 and if Edie in 1909 making her 12 years older than him. Maybe they meant the marker to say 1919 making Edie only 3 years older. Which would make more sense.

Obviously Roy Clarke had no idea that this show would become as iconic as it has nor that people would look back on it to 'connect the dots' after time had passed. Inconsistencies are bound to come up. Of which we have fun discovering and discussing.

Well-Known Member

Which church or chapel did they use for those outdoors scenes in the pilot? None of the churchyards tagged on the Summer Wine Map look steep enough to be the right one, and I don't recognize the side of the building where Clegg and the vicar sit on the bench to chat.

Well-Known Member

Here is a screen cap that may help. It seems to show 1909 - 1971 which would make her 62 when she passed. The flowers cast a shadow on the headstone making it a little harder to read when she was born. The numbers can be made out when zoomed in. As Adrian mentioned the 9's and 0's are a bit difficult to read from the camera angle and the shadow does not help. You can see it is a shadow as you watch Norm swap out the flowers the shadow moves with them.View attachment 2258

I know some have been to this cemetery and to where Bill and Peter are. Has anyone tried to locate this headstone?

Well-Known Member

That remains a debate. As the camera pans, I see both 1900 and 1920. The 1920 is probably what was intended as it makes sense for the character ages. In a previous discussion here we concluded that it was a poor attempt to disguise an existing tombstone that said 1900-1971.

Well-Known Member

By the time they made the pilot they had moved the character ages to in their 50s (pretty close to the cast in that regard) so I don't think there was any intent that we were supposed to think Peter Sallis was playing someone that much older. At least that is what Andrew Vine's book says.

As for the headstone, people do have them made in advance. Perhaps they found one that had a birthdate only carved. The effects department tried to make it look different but as the camera panned it didn't work. But its a quick shot and at the time TVs were small so they figured it was good enough.

Member

One of my favorite lines is when Clegg is talking to the Vicar who after bumming a drag off Clegg's cigarette says: "I'm supposed to be stopping. But then, on the other hand, it's hardly fitting for me to be seen trying to live forever, is it?"